Vic and Rich are the proud owners of Little Orchard Alpaca Farm in East Devon. In January 2018, Vic proposed to Rich on Charmouth Beach with ‘Will you marry me?’ written on one side of a little rock and his name on the other.
It made perfect sense to incorporate their love of Alpacas into their wedding day. Their big day, photographed by Jon Harper, began with an elegant hotel ceremony and ended up in a yurt tent with fire pits, marshmallows and a bouncy castle! Read on to see how they did it!
An elegant wedding ceremony
The couple managed to lull their guests into a false sense of security by holding the ceremony at the beautiful Alexandra Hotel, overlooking the beach where they got engaged. The ceremony was sophisticated and romantic, followed by canapes and bubbly.
Vic’s last minute find was a stunning patterned wedding dress by Wendy Makin from the amazing Shade Bridal– we adore the unconventional splash of colour in the dress! It perfectly complimented the mint bridesmaids dresses and ceremony’s coral colour scheme.
A yurt wedding feast
With the couple officially married, the guests were then whisked back to a wedding feast in a yurt tent, surrounded by fields full of alpacas! The colourful décor was fun and bubbly, with pom-pom bunting and hanging globes. This was all put together by Vic and her friend Sar whilst watching Disney films to pass the time away!
Some beautiful personal touches were added too. The place names for immediate family were pebbles, just like Vic’s proposal! Mel Smith Designs made the table place names accomopanied by handcrafted wooden napkin rings made by the grooms dad. The wedding cake, by Caked Away, incorporates Vic and Rich’s furry friends, and looks delicious! There were even alpaca shaped balloons and cupcakes!
Not just any yurt wedding!
Not a single guest will have been bored at this yurt wedding, as there was so much quirky entertainment! Bouncy castles are fun for all ages (who doesn’t love the nostalgia?!) and are sure to create fun memories and great photos! Although I’m sure the arrows will have been kept well away from the bouncy castle, archery was another quirky addition to the entertainment! Activities like this can often bring guests together, as well as giving them a unique experience.
As the sun set, marshmallows were roasted around the fire pit, and everybody celebrated with sparklers. The evening entertainment was provided by Ceilidh band Paddy’s Whiskers, creating a jolly barn dance vibe. Everybody danced the night away, after an unforgettable day.
Celebrating With Alpacas!
Vic and Rich intended to create a relaxed, fun, colourful atmosphere with lots of laughter, good food and drink and for people to just have a great time. It looks to me like they smashed it! They did it all whilst still managing to spend some quality time with their alpaca family members, too! The day had two very distinct parts to it, creating a perfect balance. In the next couple of years, they hope to start advertising Little Orchard Alpacas as a wedding venue.
The team behind this awesome yurt wedding
Ceremony – The Alexandra Hotel, Lyme Regis
Reception – Little Orchard Alpacas, Axminster
Photography and Film – Jon and Sandra Harper Wedding
Photography and Film
Dress – Wendy Makin through Shade Bridal
Cake – Kelly at Caked Away
Hair and Make Up – Debbie Wright Bridal, Honiton
Flowers – Auntie Jackie made the bouquets and Rich’s mum, Anne, did the table flowers.
Catering – Posh Nosh
VW (Mr Bo Jangles) – Quirky Car Hire Devon
Wedding Stationery – Mel Smith Designs
Yurt – Yurts for Life
Tables, Chairs and Blankets – The Prop Factory
Balloons – Jen and Charlie – Bespoke Balloon Design
Ceilidh Band and DJ – Paddy’s Whiskers
Join us on the 11-12 May 2019 at Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershire for the most unique wedding showcase in the UK. Dive into our 8 wedding showcase zones, meet our wedding llamas, try out gaming zone, taste the amazing food & drink, and, most importantly, plan for your wedding day.
Over on the blog - more unique wedding ideas
Ancient Egyptian Wedding Inspiration- Cleopatra Re-imagined
Hello, lovely unconventionals! We have the most gorgeous Ancient Egyptian wedding inspiration for you today. It was sent into us by Marcella Cistola Fotografico– all the way from Italy! This shoot is inspired by the grand, luxurious styling of the Ancient Egyptians. Think gold geometry, elegant draping and modern takes
Timeless, Decadent Wedding Inspiration- Moody Elegance!
This decadent wedding shoot is moody, passionate, opulent and downright gorgeous! This one comes all the way from Italy, sent into us by Studio Fotografico Bacci, and it exudes classic Italian elegance. Photographer Barbara told us: “The inspiration comes from my personal appreciation for Pre-Raphaelite artists. I love how they
Allie & Ben’s Rainy Rock And Roll Wedding
This rock and roll wedding is for the music lovers! Allie & Ben had a music theme woven throughout their big day, and we think it’s awesome! Captured by Tribe Member Pike Photography, the wedding was full of quirky touches, from band themed cupcakes to vinyl record table signs! Want
Getting Remarried- How I would plan my wedding differently!
So this is going to a personal one, as I’m writing it from the heart. I was married before back in 2006 and now divorced. I wouldn’t change anything about how I got to this place with my partner Seb who is my world and my rock. But, it did
Modern Barn Wedding- Autumn Neon Dreams
When you think of rustic wedding styling, you may think of a quaint theme, with bunting, burlap and jam jar fairy lights. Well, this modern barn wedding is re-thinking all of that! Organised and captured by Jessica Lily Photography, this shoot combines rustic elements with modern styling to create a
Our Favourite Themed Wedding Inspiration!
The home of themed wedding Inspiration We love a themed wedding here at Unconventional Wedding HQ! So, we thought it was about time we pulled together some of our favourite themed wedding inspiration from blogs, weddings and shoots which we’ve featured. We’ve got some popular themed wedding inspiration included such